'After entering the stadium, I felt really special again' - Suryakumar Yadav reflects on his affection for Wankhede ahead of CSK clash

After having a couple of stunning seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders, Suryakumar Yadav was picked up by Mumbai Indians at the 2018 IPL auction. Since then, the local boy has created a lot of impact and helped Mumbai win two more titles. Courtesy of the same, the 32-year-old also got to represent the national team and currently is the number one ranked T20I batter in the world.

Meanwhile, reflecting on his return to Mumbai Indians and especially at the Wankhede Stadium, the cricketer stated that everything felt really special to him. He also shared how he felt after joining Mumbai and revealed that he promised himself to work harder and play consistently to make the fans happy.

“When I returned to Mumbai Indians in 2018, it felt like a homecoming where everybody greets you. I got that same feeling. The first time I came to the ground, it was a very different feeling. Obviously, when you come to any stadium you feel great. You imagine playing at the stadium, the feeling you get when you make runs and play shots at the stadium is a very different feeling,” Suryakumar said while talking to Mumbai Indians.

“When the stadium was made, I was a regular here. I played domestic matches, age-group matches and then came the IPL. I was (sic) MI from 2011 to 2013. In 2018, I was reunited with the franchise after a short break. After entering the stadium, I felt really special again and I thought I will have to work very hard if I have to play consistently in front of this amazing crowd at this beautiful stadium. I’ll have to put in quality efforts and I have been working hard since then and have never looked back,” the top-order batter added.

However, the flamboyant batter is yet to show his class in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Yadav scored only 15 runs off 16 deliveries and thus, there’s a lot of room for improvement for him at the moment.